Everyday French idioms and what they really mean

French idioms are full of animals, food and body parts, and they rarely mean what the words say. They are also one of the quickest ways to sound natural. Each entry gives the literal translation first, so you can see how the image works, then the meaning you will actually hear, and an example.

Some of these are informal, and a few have close English equivalents. Where a French idiom is close to an English one, it is noted.

Avoir le cafard

• Literal: "To have the cockroach."
• Meaning: To feel down, low or a bit depressed.
• Example: Depuis qu'il pleut, j'ai le cafard. (Since it started raining, I have been feeling low.)

Poser un lapin

• Literal: "To put down a rabbit."
• Meaning: To stand someone up, by not turning up to a meeting.
• Example: Elle m'a posé un lapin hier soir. (She stood me up last night.)

Coûter les yeux de la tête

• Literal: "To cost the eyes of the head."
• Meaning: To be very expensive. It is close to the English "to cost an arm and a leg".
• Example: Ce sac m'a coûté les yeux de la tête. (This bag cost me a fortune.)

Avoir un chat dans la gorge

• Literal: "To have a cat in the throat."
• Meaning: To have a frog in your throat, or a hoarse voice.
• Example: Excusez-moi, j'ai un chat dans la gorge. (Sorry, I have a frog in my throat.)

Passer du coq à l'âne

• Literal: "To go from the rooster to the donkey."
• Meaning: To jump suddenly from one subject to another with no link.
• Example: Il passe sans cesse du coq à l'âne, c'est difficile de le suivre. (He keeps jumping from topic to topic, and it is hard to follow.)

Ce n'est pas la mer à boire

• Literal: "It is not the sea to drink."
• Meaning: It is not that difficult, so there is no need to worry.
• Example: Terminer ce rapport avant midi, ce n'est pas la mer à boire. (Finishing this report before noon is not that hard.)

Tomber dans les pommes

• Literal: "To fall into the apples."
• Meaning: To faint. It is informal.
• Example: Il faisait si chaud qu'elle est tombée dans les pommes. (It was so hot that she fainted.)

Raconter des salades

• Literal: "To tell salads."
• Meaning: To tell tall stories, or to lie in an elaborate way.
• Example: Ne l'écoute pas, il raconte des salades. (Do not listen to him, he is making things up.)

Using idioms well

• Use them in informal speech first. Some, such as tomber dans les pommes, are too casual for a formal letter.
• Idioms are fixed. You cannot swap a word, so avoir le moustique does not mean the same thing as avoir le cafard.
• Many idioms contain a verb you must conjugate: j'ai le cafard, elle a posé un lapin, ils sont tombés dans les pommes.
• Mixing in a few idioms makes your French sound more natural, but do not overdo it. Two or three in a conversation is enough.

Practice

For more expressions that work in everyday conversation, see introducing yourself.